Call My Name and Set Me Free
by jen.leight21
Summary: When one girl loses everything dear to her how can being in the middle of a war possibly make anything better? Easy Company becomes her safe haven and home but can they protect her from not only the Germans but also her heart?
1. Scared Voices Within

**AN:** Why hello fellow fanfictioneers and Band of Brother lovers! You may know me from my other BOB fanfic "Darker Days" or other random fanfics I've written on here but if not, Hello! How are you this morning? This story idea came to me and I just HAVE to write it. For those who do read "Darker Days" I feel as though I've lost that story and I may or may not go back to it later. Back to this story, I will not tell you who she ends up with but the events in this story are very close to the events of the men's real story. I think that's enough for an introduction don't you think? Italics are flashbacks just so you know. Well, here goes nothing...

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from Band of Brothers. The only thing I own is my sexy girl and the fantastic idea of the story. Though I wouldn't mind owning some of those hot boys if you know what I mean ;)

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><strong>Set Me Free<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 1: Scared Voices Within<strong>

Wind blew my hair across my face and the sun tried to peak through the dense cloud cover. Men covered in mud raced all around me and my body was stiff and still. I have never been so terrified in my life. Last night they informed us that our jump wasn't going to happen so here we are again racing around like chickens with our heads cut off and I'm almost completely sure that they weren't going to call this jump off. No, D-Day was just around the corner and in mere hours our companies were going to be jumping through the air as bullets race past our head and bombs explode by our feet.

To my left I spotted my company preparing for the worst and our CO was trying to calm some of the more weepy men down. My fiance was keeping busy with the many events going on around him but he couldn't fool me. I could see the sadness and the fear laced in his deep brown eyes. John Hall was not a man to scare easily but I worried that this jump was going to change everything.

Able company was the one company that no one really cared about. Most of the men were put there because they didn't really want them anywhere else. Me, I was put there because I was a woman and I still needed to prove myself before I could get anywhere good in the Airborne. You see, I was accepted into the Airborne by pure talent. I was better with a gun then almost any man and my physical condition could better any person any day of the week. I could do twice as many push ups and I even knew karate. I could kick any guys ass in seconds and the uppers knew this. Those facts were the only reason I was standing here today.

My name is Alexandria Diana Wilkes but my friends call me Alex. I'm 20 years old and was born in the lovely town of Lamar, Colorado.I lived with my mother Sarah Jane Wilkes until I left to join the Airborne two years ago once I turned 18. My father died when I was 2 and my mother never remarried so I'm an only child. Nothing too special about my life accept I'm one of the toughest girls you'll ever meet. I learned how to use a gun when I was six, mastered it by the time I was ten, learned karate and mastered it by my twelfth birthday and my best friend Zack taught me to fist fight when I was 13.

I learned a long time ago that if you want to survive in life you need to be tough and be able to throw down anything that gets in your way. When I saw the article about Paratroopers in a magazine I decided right away that the last thing I had to do to prove myself was to join the Airborne. They only take in the best and I needed to be the best. Sink saw what I could do and I was put into Able company instantly. There I met John. I hated him at first, so much in fact that one day I punched him and broke his nose. I felt so terrible then I carried him to a medic and gave him my week supply of chocolate. We've been best friends ever since. Months later he secretly asked me to marry him and I agreed gladly. That's really the beginning of it all. I trained at Toccoa where I met the amazing Richard "Dick" Winters who is my complete and utter savior in this whole mess. I smiled silently to myself...

-

_"Yes John, I understand that but it's honestly not my fault that Captain freakin' Sobel hates my guts. He hates everyone! Accept Evans but that's because Evans is a suck up who some how understands how Sobel works. I mean, if I were in charge I would send him off into Europe by himself just to see how long he lasts. Sink should just give him a gun and two grenades and send him on his way for Pete's sake!" I complained constantly to John. Earlier today I ran into Sobel and he dropped all of his papers. He then proceeded to yell at me for ten minutes and then complain to my CO who just gave me a look when Sobel was watching and smirked at me when he wasn't. I was put on Latrine duty for a week just to satisfy Sobel. I mean, it's not my fault that the guys clumsy! We've all heard rumors that Sobel sucks at his job but now I know that the rumors are nice, he's much worse in person._

_"Alex, you can't waltz around pissing officers off, especially Sobel. He'll have you Court Martialed then killed if you get on his nerves. Paul told me so! Paul said he saw Sobel get an innocent man killed just for spilling his coffee! I don't think you know who you're dealing with Lexie!" My ever so concerned fiance informed me. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the story. "What are you laughing at?" John snapped, 'It's true, I swear!" _

_"John, sweetheart, Sobel would piss his pants if a gun was pointed at his nuts okay? He's not exactly the man to do the job. Yeah, he may talk and scare people with his words but let me tell you, when it comes to actually getting the job done with force, he'd rather bitch and moan," I stated finally. John managed to smiled gently as we walked towards the mess hall. I was to deliver a message from Colonel Sink to Lieutenant Winters who had mess duty for a while._

_Now, from what I heard about Lieutenant Ricard Winters everyone said he was an amazing guy. Most, if not all, of the men in Easy would rather be fighting behind Winters then Sobel and honestly, I think any man at this point would be better then Herbert Sobel. Winters was known as a kind man who didn't drink alcohol and treated all of his men fairly and justly. Winters was strong, brave, and wise and everyone who met him respected him and enjoyed his company. I was anxious to meet this man. I wanted to know if he was as great as everyone made him out to be or if they were all just crazy in the head which at this point in life would not surprise me and would be completely normal._

_When we reached the mess hall I kissed John on the cheek and told him I would see him later after him and a few guys finished their run up Currahee. When I was about to enter the mess hall, suddenly a bunch of very annoyed, pissed off men exited and I stood to the side out of their way. None of them even glanced my direction. I heard a few mumbles about food and running and I'm no medic but I knew that wasn't good in any shape or form. Then I remembered that Easy was receiving spaghetti today. Well, I'm glad I'm not in their company right now, that's for sure. _

_After the boys were finished piling out, Sobel was the last to leave with a smirk clear on his face. He didn't acknowledge my existence either. My face turned red with rage just at the sight of his face and I had to take a deep breath to cool off. I didn't want to seem hot headed the first time I met Winters. John always said when you meet an officer to appear cool and collected and not to worry. Normally it worked like a charm but this time... not so much._

_I finally gathered myself and took a single step into the mess hall. I was greeted by loud clanging of pots and pans and metal spoons. The smell was incredible though. I can't recall the last time I actually ate real food so this was... spectacular. Smacking myself mentally, I returned to the duty at hand. Calmly, I sauntered over to the kitchen with the letter for Winters in hand. _

_"Excuse me, but is there a Lieutenant Winters here presently?" I asked softly in the most gentle voice I could possibly have. One of the kitchen hands nudged his head to the left and I spotted the only man in an actual army uniform. _

_"Give me a second ma'am," His voice was sweet like honey and calm like a gently creek. If it wasn't for the large counter in front of me I would have melted on the spot. At the moment all I could see was a head full of red hair and muscles that shaped in his uniform perfectly. Goodness gracious what have I been missing? If all the boys in Easy look like this then sign me up! _

_I stood there patiently and when Winters finally turned around seconds later my heart caught in my throat and I instantly stopped breathing. My knees buckled and my palms became sweaty. Oh god... please have mercy on my soul! His greenish blue eyes shone with a heavenly light and the freckles on his face made him seem all the more innocent. He had smile lines on his forehead, barely visible but clear enough to see and dimples gracing the side of his mouth. His lips showed a gently smile and I nearly died. Lord kill me now. _

_"Sorry for the wait, it's been a... busy day. Hello, I'm Richard Winters, what can I do for you?" He held out his hand and it took my body a second to react. I shook it gently in response._

_"Private Alexandria Diana Wilkes, nice to meet you," I smiled kindly as I introduced myself. A look of realization appeared on his face instantly. _

_"You're the woman from Able Company right? The one they all talk about," Dick asked uncertainly. I nodded with a small laugh._

_"Sadly yes, that would be me," I replied as I handed him the letter from Sink. "This is from Colonel Sink. He said he needed it to be delivered right away and was in too much of a rush to find a runner and I was close so he sent me to do it. So, here I am," I felt the need to tell him this for a reason, maybe to prove that I wasn't just a girl who ran around sending letters on my free time._

_Winters nodded in understanding. "Yes, that sounds like Colonel Sink. That you for delivering it. Must have been an inconvenience for you and I'm sorry you had to waste your time with it. I'm sure your busy training, I don't mean to be a reason to disturb that Alexandria," He apologized. I stared at him quizzically. Was he so kind that he was apologizing for something he didn't do?... Wow, I don't think I've ever met a man this sweet before. _

_"Winters, I assure you it was no problem for me. Anything to help. You don't have to be sorry for something you have absolutely no control over. I'm a tough cookie," I winked at him. He smiled and laughed gently in return._

_"I bet you are. You'd have to be to be here. You know... you're pretty special I hear. The only woman to be in the army never less the Airborne," He mentioned. Sighing, I nodded and prepared for the speech I have told so many times before._

_"I guess I'm just lucky, sir." I added. Dick shook his head._

_"No, you're not lucky. You're special Alexandria. To be here is a gift and you've made it this far. I bet you're pretty amazing," Dick corrected me. I was surprised to say the least. Everyone just thought I got in by sleeping with someone from the top or money... no one ever believed I actually got in by pure talent, well except John and now Winters. I blushed and stared at the floor._

_"Thank you Lieutenant Winters," I whispered meek as a mouse. Dick raised my chin slowly so I was looking him in the eye again... those mesmerizing eyes..._  
><em>"Please Alexandria, call me Dick," Dick ordered in a playful matter. I laughed softly and nodded my head. His hand fell as he smiled and I found myself longing for the warmth that left with it.<em>

_"Only if you call me Alex, Dick," I informed him playfully. This time it wasn't soft, it was a joyful laugh that filled the depths of my heart and warmed my soul._  
><em>"Deal... Alex," he winked at me and I was his forever...<em>

-

There was the start of mine and Dicks lasting friendship. Dick was majorly protective and I just enjoyed every second I could have with him. He'd met John once or twice and they seemed to get along well but John always seemed jealous of the carefree relationship that Dick and I had. None of that really mattered anymore. Arms wrapped around my waist the best they could and i felt John lay his chin gently on my shoulder. I leaned back into him and let go of the breath I was holding.

"Lexi... you have to promise me that you will meet me on the ground below... that you're going to be okay and no matter what we are going to see each other again," John muttered harshly. A silent tear slipped down my face and fell onto my equipment. I nodded mutely and he kissed my check silently and I spun around and fell into his arms.

"I promise John..." I whispered. I could hear him choke down his own tears and I died inside.

"I love you Alexandria Diana Wilkes... forever and always my dear..." John assured me soothingly. I sighed in content and I prayed to God above that he would not take my love from me.

"And I love you John Hall... forever and always..." I recited back to him. John slowly pulled back and kissed my lips softly, gave me a wink and was off. I followed him with my eyes until he was completely out of sight.

"You'll see him again," Dicks voice soothed my emotions instantly. Tears sped down my cheeks like a broken damn and a raging waterfall colliding in a disastrous storm..

"How can you be so sure Dick? What if I don't make it out of that plane alive?" my voice cracked at the end and in the blink of an eye I was facing Dicks determined face. He was scared and worried... I could tell. Under his eyes lay dark lines showing me he hadn't slept, or slept well, in a while. Dirt was in smudges all over his pure freckled face and it made me question everything. What if we didn't notice ourselves after the war? I guess we have FUBAR for a reason... Dick was not smiling... his lips were set in a straight line meaning he meant business and his hands were wrapped securely around my dainty arms.

"Don't, don't you ever say that. You hear me Alex? You are going to make it out of that plane alive because if you die up there what am I going to do, huh? What's John going to do? I can't go through this whole war knowing your dead Alex... I can't..." and that did it. For the first time for the two years I've known him... Dick Winters cried. Tears were slowly flowing down the dirt on his face and he closed his eyes instantly. His head faced the ground and he clung to my shoulders for support. My heart tore into millions of tiny pieces. I hated this... As I pulled him into a hug he wrapped his arms securely around me and nearly crushed me but I didn't care. It didn't matter to me because this was the best moment I've had since I left my mother at home in Colorado...

"I promise you Dick... I will make it out of that plane alive and be there to annoy you another day, don't you worry," I assured him finally. He chuckled lightly and when his head lifted back up, the tears were gone and they were replaced with that brilliant smile of his. I saluted him and he returned it gladly. As Dick turned and walked away the tears in my eyes threatened to spill once more again as the storm rekindled the sudden flame. I shook them off and tread over to my destiny.

I sat down with the rest of the guys who were going to be on the plane with me. They all looked worried and scared out of their minds and I couldn't find a reason to blame them. I reached down and grasped the Star of David on a string around my neck and held it to my lips. I prayed silently and let God take away my fears. The cold metal was a hidden sanctuary into my soul, calming and patient with my scattered thoughts. At this point in time, this heavenly star was my only paradise.

By the time we were ready to go I was content with everything around me. Our CO stood in front of us with a look of compassion on his face and I felt sorrow for him. He was the one who had to lie to us all and tell us that this thing would go off without a hitch when most of us knew it wasn't true. Half the men were going onto the plane with the thought that they would die. The rest of us tried not to think of it and our determination to live overcame the fear of anything on and off that plane. We sealed a wall in our mind to ensure that the sadness and pain wouldn't break through. The only problem with that is, one day, that wall will break and we will be left to pick up these broken pieces of our mind and heart that this war will have left behind. So, with that wall, we have to block out those thoughts as well.

"Gentleman, and lady, we've been to hell and back together and I know for a fact that our training has prepared us for this jump. I look forward to seeing all of you on the ground... good luck," he said the last part quietly and it sent a silent and swift shiver down my spine. One by one he helped us all up of the ground and gave us a gentle smile which did absolutely nothing for our fear but in a way helped us cope with what was to come. We came to terms with God and accepted the fact that we may not see the sun rise tomorrow morning.

The weight of the equipment pulled me down but with a little help from my friend James, I was up in the plane ready to go. I was the second to last one on and our CO Peter Dye sat next to me and sent me a reassuring smile. I smiled weakly back at him then became instantly interested with the filthy and rough fabric of my pants and the dusty metal floor below me.

Our plane engines shuddered on and I could hear the propellers circling outside my window. Our pilot started her forward and in the matter of seconds, we were in the open air flying towards our intended doom. I glanced out the window and saw nothing but fields for a miles along the coast. I suddenly was overcome with a queasy feeling and I took a wild guess that the air sickness pills our medic gave us was kicking in. I gave into the feeling and closed my weary eyes. This was going to be a long flight and there was nothing else to do but think and in all honestly that didn't sound very appeasing so I decided to take a nap instead.

-

_"You know Alex, one day that big mouth of yours is going to get you into a load of trouble," Dick informed me. I laughed at him and his concern. _

_"Look Dick, just because he almost punched me in the face doesn't mean he was actually going to go through with it and ruin this beautiful cherubic masterpiece of mine.. I bet that guy couldn't hurt a fly," I answered back cockily. "After all, when you entered the room I knew he wasn't going to do anything stupid in front of his best friend," _

_Dick sighed and shook his head in defeat at me, "Alex my dear friend, you are hopeless. Since Lewis is my friend, I know for a fact that sometimes the man can have a temper." _

_I scoffed, "A temper large enough to hit a girl?" I asked raising my eyebrow at him. Dick stilled for a moment then turned towards me._

_"Well..." I waited patiently with my arms crossed and gave him a "I won" sort of look. Dick knew he lost this battle and I smiled triumphantly. "Okay, okay I get your point but you really did get under his skin today Lex,"_

_"So? He's a pig! Lewis Nixon pointed out that I had big boobs so I pointed out that he was in the army to compensate for something he didn't have enough of. How is it my fault that he can throw the fire but doesn't like to see the flame thrown back at him? His ego is bigger the Europe and China mashed together!" I defended myself. Dick stopped pacing around the room and looked at me in horror._

_"He actually commented on your breast size?..." Dick seemed uncomfortable saying the word breast and I couldn't help but chuckle at his sweet innocence._  
><em>"Just because you're an angel Dick doesn't mean he is," I pointed out and he continued to blush profusely. As soon as Dick sat down on a simple wooden chair in the corner a small army man stepped in the doorway. I looked at him strangely then over to Dick who just shook his head and smiled.<em>

_"Alex, this is Harry Welsh. Harry, this is Alexandria Wilkes," Dick introduced me to the small man. His hair was short, tan and curly and his eyes bright like his smile. His teeth were nearly perfect except for the small gap in between his two front teeth. He seemed like a kind and sincere man so I decided to give him a chance. Couldn't be any worse then grumpy pants Nixon._

_Harry extended his hand in greeting and I shook it firmly. "It's nice to meet you Harry Welsh," I offered kindly. He smiled brightly at me._

_"It's an honor to meet you Ms. Wilkes. Dick talks about you non stop so it's nice to finally meet the girl who's so damn important. You really are the talk of the camp," Harry informed me. The blush crept back into Dicks cheeks and I liked this man already. Any guy who could get Dick to be himself that easily instantly earned my liking. I loved to see different sides of Dick that no one else got to see. It was a welcoming surprise and it warmed my heart._

_"Please, call me Alex. Ms. Wilkes makes me feel old and frumpy. I can't believe Dick actually talks about me. That is a pleasant relief to say the least. I hope it's only the good things he mentions to you Harry. Wouldn't want you to find out about my bad habits quite yet," I winked at Harry and Dick transformed into a ripe, freshly picked strawberry. I couldn't help but laugh._

_"Well, Alex, how could there be any bad things about someone as wonderful and stunning as you?" Harry winked back. I chuckled heartily and slapped his arm playfully._

_"Harry, you're making me blush. Let's not embarrass Dick anymore then he already is," We both glanced at Dick to see him staring at anything but us. Harry could not stop laughing for what felt like the longest time._

_"Well Dee, I think we've annoyed our poor Lieutenant enough today, don't you?"_

_"I completely agree with you my little leprechaun," I teased and so started the great ,and completely annoying to everyone else but us, friendship of Harry Welsh and Alex Wilkes._

-

I awoke to darkness and hushed prayers. It took my eyes a few moments to adjust to everything around me. Some of the guys were still fast asleep, others clung to their rosaries, most just stared ahead into the darkness. I glanced to my right to see Peter Dye staring out into the dark abyss below us. I nudged him gently and he turned to me in a stifled jump. I gave him an apologetic look and he smiled softly.

"We're about an hour away from the drop zone!" he yelled over the sound of wind and engine. I nodded barely and went back to taking in my surroundings. James just stared at me with sorrow written all over his face. I reached over and grabbed onto his hand tightly. He came out of his trance and glanced down at our hands briefly before clinging onto my hand like a lifeline.

"Every thing's going to be alright..." I mouthed to him. He nodded but I could tell he didn't believe me. In all honesty, I don't know if I truly believe myself. If I died today I will have broken many promises. A promise to myself to stay alive to help my country, a promise to my fiance, a promise to my best friend, and most importantly, a promise to my father. To live my life with a brilliant vibe that no one can match and a smile always on my pale pink lips. I intended to keep every one of those promises.

Suddenly I could hear bombings in the distance. I'm guessing Peter was wrong. As I glared outside into the night I could faintly see lights flashing which made it look like lighting... I knew it wasn't but in a twisted and strange way it was beautiful. The gun shots and explosions had a beauty in their own. A beauty in the death they carried with them. They were bombing the planes and trying to shoot us down with every weapon and force they had. I guess they knew just as well as we did that if this was a success, we would be that much closer to ending the German army and winning the war.

Mere seconds later our plane was being tossed around like a doll. Lights flashed everywhere and men struggled to stay in their seats. Screams and yells erupted through out the plane and I held onto a rope behind me to still myself from all the havoc. This was going to be rough... James held onto me to keep him and myself steady and I thanked him briefly with my eyes. His were full or terror and rage. Terror at the plane crashing and rage at the German's who were making that thought possible. I honestly never thought that this day would change my whole life. End it, yes. The possibility of my death was high on this mission but I never thought that this day would change me... forever.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Yay! First chapter is complete and I am the happiest camper in the forest!... Whatever the hell that means. So, please review and tell me what you think and I just might reply in my next chapter... Just kidding, I will reply because I'm cool like that ;) Well, I hope you enjoyed this fun filled chapter!** Much Love - Jenna**


	2. Why Not Shoot Me Now?

**AN: **Hello my peeps! How's summer? For those who work and go to summer school, well, that sucks ass and I hope that this story can lighten up your day or night or whenever your reading this because writing it sure lightens up mine :) So, I hope you liked the chapter before this. I feel as though my writing is improving so hopefully the chapters will get better and better every time you read them and they keep you on the edge of your seats like no one's business! Unless your at Starbucks or something stealing their Wi-Fi then I would look calm and collected so no one thinks your crazy but that's just my opinion! Um, if my story ever gets confusing just ask me questions and tell me in the review so I can hopefully fix that :D Well, I hope this chapter is everything you asked and wished for and possibly more. Let's go!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from Band of Brothers. The only thing I own is my sexy girl and the fantastic idea of the story. Though I wouldn't mind owning some of those hot boys if you know what I mean ;)

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><p><strong>Call My Name and Set Me Free<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 2: Why Not Shoot Me Now?<strong>

"Stand up!" Dye yelled over the vicious noise enclosing us. All them men in the plane stood up automatically and I almost felt like we were still in training and this was just an exercise to receive our wings. God, I wish it was. I would almost rather be anywhere but on this goddamned plane right now. "Hook up!" And we did without hesitation or question. "Sign off for equipment check!" I barely processed the men screaming out their numbers and slapping the guy in front of them. I stared down at the engagement ring that hung from a simple silver chain around my neck and prayed that John was unharmed at that he would be fine. I refused to let myself believe that my radioman could be dead on French ground somewhere below me.

The feeling of crying erupted in my stomach but I didn't have the strength to cry and I didn't have the strength to wipe my tears away. Everything seemed so distant that when I felt the tap on my back and the number three bring okay I almost didn't comprehend that it was my turn to sound off next.

"Two okay!" I forced out and Dye quickly followed suit. After he knew our whole plane was as prepared as we ever could be for this jump, he turned and started at the red light, waiting for it to change to a vibrant green. My nerves got the better of me and I started to shake from the toes up. You wouldn't be able to notice since the whole plane was a tumbling mess but I could feel my body shake from anticipation from what was about to take place before me. Just turn already!... Please, just turn already... come on...

Suddenly a loud crash frightened all the men and myself and we all turned to see one of our guys go down like a ton of bricks and scream in pure agony. A bullet hole graced the side of our plane and three men were down either trying not to receive the same fate or to try to fix the man who was shot. The thing is, we have no medic on our damn plane so there's no possible way we can treat him! I was about to race over to help the guy but Dye reached for my arm and held a tight grip. When I was about to question him, he answered it silently with a nod to the bright green light by the door and concern flashing continuously in his eyes. I nodded in silent understanding and he roared for everyone to jump out.

In seconds, I was out of the plane and soaring through the air. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life and I prayed that I would NEVER have to go through this again! Bullets raced past my head and other paratroopers around me tried to maneuver so they wouldn't hit a tree or another man. I thought I was doing fine until an explosion went of by my head and my whole world blurred in seconds.

I could feel my parachute flapping in the wind behind me and air crashed against my face in waves. My heart raced but other wise I was completely numb to everything going on around me now. My vision was completely black even though I was pretty sure my eyes were open and my head and arms just hung useless at my side. Nothing seemed to pull me out of the trance until I felt a sharp sting on my side then my legs crumbled and my body cascaded harshly down to the earth below me.

Now I have to ask myself why the hell I joined up with the damn Paratroopers in the first place. Who in their right mind jumps out of perfectly acceptable and working airplanes into the madness I just went through? Crazy people I tell you! Let me tell you, that hurt like hell and I'm not even completely sure what "that" was considering my eyes were still trying to gain focus as was my scattered brain.

After a few moments, when I finally gained my vision back, my instincts kicked in and I searched for my rifle frantically. I found very quickly that the bag that they forced us to strap to out leg, with all of our supplies and provisions, was gone. Blew off in all the confusion and craziness. Fantastic, now I have no weapon, I don't know where I am, and I'm pretty sure I'm injured. I tried to move and quickly discovered that, well, I couldn't.

With great difficulty, I raised my head off the moist dirt I was laying on and examined myself. Well, I actually didn't look too horrible. From what I could tell, everything was fixable. I had a few scrapes on my arms and bruises on my legs but other then that I looked like my beautiful and mysterious self. I took in the environment around me and found a large tree above me, which explains the cuts and bruises, a forest to my left, and large endless fields to my right.

Eventually I pulled myself back far enough so I was leaning against the tree trunk for support. I raised my hand to wipe some sweat from my forehead but when I brought my hand back down the light from the moon didn't show sweat. Blood caked my fingers and my forehead and left cheek burned. I cringed and hissed in pain. Of course, my mirror was in that stupid leg bag so I couldn't exactly check to see what had happened so it was going to have to wait till I found a medic and showed up at the right drop zone to check in.

As I pulled myself up with the help of a large bolder next to me I could feel pain erupt all through out my body. I wasn't a medic but I was almost completely sure that my body was just screaming at me for have a slight run in with this huge tree behind me. My biggest concern was that I didn't have a weapon and I couldn't tell how bad the damage on my poor face was. Well, better get a move on if I want to find out.

With every move, my body screamed but I ignored it with great diligence. I headed towards the forest in hope to find a road that would lead me to where I was supposed to be. I would even settle with running into another soldier who could point me in the right direction! You know, those boys who jumped before us were supposed to plan out route but it seems like they did a really shitty job at that!... Wait, I guess I can't really blame them. I bet none of us actually jumped in the right place. Without a doubt, all of the boys are spread all through out Normandy. Wonderful! It could take weeks before every assembles! I don't even know if any of the men I trained with are even alive.

The forest I tread through was dark and damp and every branch I had the misfortune to step on would crack in agony. I actually ran into some large rocks and branches that stuck out into the dark night. If it wasn't for the screaming and bombing in the distance, the forest would have been deathly silent on any other night. Kind of gave me the creeps... I heard a loud crack to my right and instantly dropped to the ground since I didn't exactly have a weapon to fight with. I listened intently for any sign of clicking or Americans talking. No such luck. Oh, I heard whispering alright but it wasn't my boys conversing. It was the Germans. Well this should be interesting considering I don't know German...

"Was bedeuten diese Amerikaner glauben, sie tun?" A deep German voice asked angrily. A light laugh came from another man, assumingly his friend or comrade. What the hell are they talking about?...

"Was die Amerikaner am besten. Dumm sein." The other replied light heartedly. Why is this guy so damn happy?

The first man scoffed at the statement. "Müssen sie werden auf unserem Land dumm sein? Warum sie nicht einfachaufgeben?" Wait, why is this guy so pissed?

"Sie haben einen schlechten Leiter, Sir." The squeakier man replied arrogantly. I've had enough of this nonsense. This is getting really annoying and boring...

When the two passed without noticing me, I knocked one over the head with a large rock and offered the other a knee to the balls and he fell straight to the ground so I could knock him out with a swift kick to the jaw. I smiled triumphantly and grabbed one of the Germans rifles and was on my way. That was a lot easier then I thought it would be.

About ten minutes later, I finally came across a road and decided to take a left. Maybe, I would end up in the right place eventually. There was just enough light from the moon above to light my path and I was thankful to whoever was watching over me. The stroll was completely silent until I heard whispering in front of me and I knelt down behind some rubble and listened.

"Do you have any idea where we're going, sir?" An accented voice asked sluggishly. Thank god! Americans, this was a good sign.

"We should arrive at our meeting point before noon," Another voice answered back calmly. I knew that voice. The honey sweetness laced in with the tenderness and the accurate and deep tone lit up a light in my mind. Oh God...

"Flash!" I voiced out shakily, hoping I wasn't wrong. The footsteps stopped and a few guns clicked just in case. Us Paratroopers were always prepared for the enevitable.

"Thunder!" The tender voice called back and when I peaked over the corner, I dropped my rifle to the floor and raced into my best friends arms. Dick was alive. He stilled under the strange affection since he probably doesn't know who I am yet. Then mere seconds later arms encased me in their protective hold and crushed me into the warmth he held.

"Alex... Thank you God," Dick whispered so that only we could hear. His rough hands rubbed my back soothingly and I wanted to cry in pure joy.

"I'm so glad that you're alive Dick," I mumbled into his chest. That's when I felt what I mistook at first as rain. Then I realized, for the second time today, that Dick was crying because of me. All I could do to comfort my friend was tighten my grip.

"As am I," Dick replied, choking on his tears. The only reason we even contemplated on letting go was because a weak voice called out and interrupted our intense and intimate moment.

"Alex?" My eyes flew open and my head spun so fast that I almost became dizzy. I was so happy with God that I could actually become a damn Nun, live in a convent, and spend the rest of my days thanking him in a huge church. I spun around faster then a top and was met with the happiest, brightest eyes the world has and will ever see.

"John..." We stumbled towards each other and unceremoniously fell into each others arms. We couldn't say a word because in all honesty, we didn't know what to say. We were so joyful in knowing that each other was alive that we were hindered speechless. When my eyes opened, though cloudy with tears, I could see Carwood Lipton smiling kindly down at us and the two 82nd boys just staring with their mouths gaping open. I wasn't sure if it was because of the adorable and heartwarming scene in front of them or the mere idea that a woman was in the middle of this war, as a US Paratrooper non the less.

Dick cleared his throat, but not harshly. "I don't mean to ruin the truly touching moment you two love birds are having but we really need to get moving if we want to make it out of here and to our destination by the end of this war, thank you." I chuckled at Dick's light humor and reluctantly let go of John. He still stayed as close to me as possible, and that, I was thankful for. I didn't want to face the chance of losing him once more.

We got a move on and though I was completely lost I trusted Dick to get us to where we needed to go. Around us were tall trees and rocks roads. It was pretty silent except the crunching of our boots hitting the gravel and our breathing, in and out in perfect harmony. Now that I was with my best friend and Fiance, I was much more at ease then before.

Dick slowed down and evened his pace then we came to a stop and he knelt to the ground, motioning for us to do the same. I didn't realize what he was doing until I heard distant whispering coming from the trees to out left. I couldn't comprehend whether it was English, French, or German, three languages that were now very common in France. From the sound of it, they were men and one of them was complaining about something. One of the 82nd boys lost his balance and tumbled down, landing on a twig and snapping it harshly. I froze and I could sense John next to me do the same. Dick winced and the unknown boys behind the tree's stopped mumbling.

"Flash!" Dick called out firmly. Please God, let it be Paratroopers.

"Thunder!" Many different called back at once. God was definitely on our side today. This day was just getting better and better.

"Lieutenant Winters, is that you?" One man asked, sure of himself. Dick nodded once his face could be seen by the moonlight. I could see the group calm down instantly and relief just oozed from their body's. He always did have a way with the boys, and he was the best damn leader I had ever met. Better then freakin Sobel.

John, the 82nd boys, and I followed Lipton and Dick over to the other Easy company men and merely listened to their conversation in silence. We didn't want to intrude considering this was their outfit and we had no idea where the hell we were supposed to go. John and I decided to follow them until we could regroup with our CO and company.

All the boys greeted each other and once they figured out where they were going Dick decided to move out as quiet as possible. "Guarnere," He motioned for one man.

"Sir?" A strong Philly voice answered back.

"You and Hall up front," Dick ordered then we all started marching again and I reluctantly let go of Johns hand so he could lead the group ahead.  
>"Who the hell is Hall?" The Philly man asked quietly. I chuckled under my breath and I could see John glance back and a tad annoyed but he smiled at me and kept walking. After a few moments, Dick ended up to my right, keeping a close eye on me and the boys. Every few seconds he would glance my way to make sure I was all right and it was started to unnerve me. I would have reamed out but I wasn't about to start an argument in unfamiliar territory where the last thing we wanted to do was be found. I settled on hitting his shoulder and staring him down instead. Dick took the hint but before he turned away I saw a smirk on that freckled face on his and my blood silently boiled deep inside me. How infuriorating that man could be!<p>

We walked in the dark for a few minutes until I saw John wave his hand up and we all dropped to the floor on one knee in an instant. Dick scattered in front of us over to a small bridge and gazed down. He motioned us over and we all followed him without question. As he told a few people where to go and motioned for them what to do I started to hear what Dick was worried about. Raised German voices could be heard down the road and we were setting up to attack them. I hid myself behind a tree and swung around my German rifle while I prepared myself for my second encounter of the day. I glanced to my right and noticed John all set and ready to fire. I wondered about his experiences today and pondered what might have happened while he was with Dick. Had he already killed a German soldier? There was so much I wanted to talk about and new I couldn't right now. Then I began to fathom if he ever would tell me.

It was this moment that I realized that there was going to be things that would happen during this war that I would never want to repeat or tell anyone once it's over. If I even survive... And if that day comes that I will be able to retell these events... what would I say? How would I tell them?

Loud shots blocked my mind from further thinking and I saw as a few Nazi soldiers fell and German cursing flew through the air like wild geese. Dick looked confused for a moment but before we knew it, everyone was firing right along with the loud man from Philly.

I pulled my trigger and watched as a man fell. No thought went through my mind about how a mother would soon weep as she read a letter of her sons death. No thought that a wife may now never see her beloved husband and lover ever again. No thought of how a young daughter or son may now grow up and live their rest of their lives never knowing their loving father... How I just killed a man who was merely following orders. Doing exactly what I was doing. Trying to make his country a better and safer place. None of these thoughts ever skimmed my mind as two or three or four more soldiers met their demise. This was war alright and there was no turning back.

As the last Nazi soldier fell I lowered my rifle and listened to my harsh breathing. Only one man was still shooting. Dick did not look happy about it.  
>"That's enough Guarnere!" Dick yelled as he pushed down the mans gun. Philly was seething and his eyes held torturous pain and complete hatred for all human life around him. The two looked as though they could kill each other in an instant and the rest of us just waited awkwardly, almost feeling as though we were imposing on some secret conversation that never should have been heard. I found an interesting rock on the floor to examine, as did most of the others around me.<p>

"Next time I say wait for my command you wait for my command, Sergeant!" Dick commanded harshly. Officers rarely pulled the ladder of command but Dick wanted him to know that he was in charge and that Philly had disobeyed a direct order. That was one thing Dick would not stand for especially if it could have harmed his men or sabotaged a mission.

I glanced up to see them face to face with raging anger flowing off Philly and pure disappointment glowing from Dick. I almost felt Bad for Philly. No man was that pissed off without a reason and when I saw the look on Johns face I knew instantly that he was thinking the exact same thing and neither of us would rest until we found out why. In all honesty, I just wanted to help the guy. Behind that angry facade there was massive amounts of pain. You could just see it in his eyes and it made my heart ache.

"Yes, Sir..." Philly forced out which sounded as though it took a great amount of effort not to out right talk back to Dick. A mere few seconds passed until a shot was fired. I jumped, frantically searched around for the culprit.

A dark, handsome man was standing a few feet away from me with his gun pointed at a now dead horse. His eyes vacant and his hand still. I wondered if we would ever be like that after killing other living, breathing people. I was still slightly shaking from the battle only minutes before. My hands trembled, my lip quivered, and I found myself not being able to blink... As though I was frozen in time right on the spot.

Only when a warm hand placed itself on my seemingly frozen arm did I shake myself from the clouds and come back to reality. "Alex... Are you alright?" Johns voice broke through my self conscious. My head snapped towards his sweet voice and my eyes blinked a few times as I tried to adjust to the darkness around me. I tried to look anywhere but his eyes for I knew that if he looked into mine he would see the fear and sadness. John grabbed both of my hands and brought them to his soft lips then, and only then, did I look into his deep brown eyes. The eyes that held so much warmth, love, and comfort.

"John..." I whispered almost too softly to hear. The sound was almost questioned to my own ears. I barely recognized myself. His eyes searched mine and waited patiently for me to continue. "John... I killed a man today," I finished off soberly. A breath released from deep inside of me and it took all my effort and being not to shudder and burst into a waterfall of tears.

John gazed down at me in complete understanding. "Oh, Lexie..." that was all he said then suddenly I was in his arms and utterly lost to the world around me. I was safe... completely safe in my lovers arms. There was no place in the universe that I would rather be then here in his arms. I breathed in his familiar scent of meadows and rain. I clung onto his paratrooper jacket for dear life and prayed to God above that this was just a nightmare and I would wake up to John caressing my cheek and whispering sweet nothings into my ear. For the life of me I could not understand why God sent me here to watch people die... to watch the world burn... to destroy my inner soul and watch others parish as well. How was any of this fair? How could any of it be real?

The soldiers around us conversed but as it reached my ears I heard nothing but mumblings and silence. Even as my eyes opened to see the concerned face of Richard Winters, my best friend and confident, I couldn't quite grasp the situation.

"Here Lieutenant," a soldier voiced out. Finally I could hear again and comprehend what was going on around me. "A kraut weapon," the soldier finished. Dick turned and took the weapon from the mans hand but spun right back around to face me. I forced a smile to my chapped lips and tried with all my might to reassure him that I would be fine. He some what smiled back but I knew he could see right through my mask. The look in his eyes told me that we would be talking about this later. Goodie!...

"Freakin' Quaker..." I heard Philly mumble angrily as I passed by. I cracked a smile at Dicks not so well known nick name. All the men that new Dick or served under him believed with all his might that Dick was a Quaker just because he didn't drink of spew profanities every ten seconds like a sailor. I found it quite amusing but Dick never paid any mind to it. I did love to torment him with it whenever I got the chance though.

John stood up from his kneeling position on the floor and stared quizzically at Philly. "What's that guys problem?" He asked curiously.

"Gonorrhea," a read headed soldier replied back jokingly.

"Really?" John questioned astonished. The red head raised his eye brows at John and stared at him as though he were an alien.

"Guarnere, Gonorrhea... get it?" The red head tried again. I giggled gently at the inside joke of Easy Company. John rolled his eyes in understanding.

"Well, besides having a shitty name what's his problem?" John tried once more. Philly stood up looking quite offended and pissy. Well shit.

"None of your fuckin' business Cowboy!" Philly spat at John. Oh boy... I strut over to John and placed my hand gently on Philly's chest to stop him from doing something stupid. I could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking about it. Philly tore his murderous gaze away from John and I found my eyes locked onto his. His facial features softened and his fists released. The pain resurfaced in his eyes and his mouth opened as to say something but he just turned and walked away.

"All right, let's move out, quietly!" Lipton ordered. John grabbed my hand and I forced myself to look away from the spot that Philly just vacated. **(AN: All right, if you didn't understand this by now, Alex calls Bill Philly cause he has a Philladelphian accent considering he's from Philly and she doesn't know his name is Bill yet *breath*. All right, back to the story!) **John had to literally pull me along for the next few hours because I couldn't stop thinking about that stupid Philly soldier, Guarnere. The pain in his eyes war maddening to me! In complete honesty I just wanted to give the guy a damn hug or something!

"Did you see him? He just sat there?" I heard Philly complain for the thousandth time in the last en minutes. I was trying to block it all out because his complaining was getting me any closer to finding out why the hell he was so freakin' sad! I blocked out the rest of the conversation he had with the dark, hot, and mysterious guy. I think his name was Toye but I wasn't 100% sure yet.

As I stumbled through the swamp, I watched as the sun rose above the tree tops. I realized this was the most beautiful scenery I had seen since... hell, I don't remember when.

A few minutes later I bumped into something hard and cursed quietly to myself. When I looked up to see what the hell was going on I almost screamed. A paratrooper was hanging, dead, from a tree. His leg almost touching his head and his arms dangling from beneath him. I hate war...

I literally stared at the man in horror until Dick stepped in front of me and blocked my view. "Hey, Alex, we're moving out again." Dick muttered softly so only we could here. My eyes traveled up slowly and uncertainly to find his. He looked at me sadly and stroked my cheek gently, making sure to wipe my hair out of my face and behind my ear. "It'll be fine Lex. We're almost there, okay?" He asked firmly trying to keep me in reality with him. I nodded and followed him while staying very close to John.

A while later when we finally reached the damn post, I wanted to pass out from exhaustion. That was a whole months worth of work rolled up into a couple of hours and I was starting to wish I was back at boot camp dealing with Sobels' constant wrath and hatred. It would definitely be better than this.

I sat down on the muddy ground and leaned my head against a slanted tree. I felt some men gather around me and follow suit but my eyes were closed and I paid no mind to them. All my effort was gathered to trying to take a nap.

"Thank you," a voice close to me, weak with emotion, mumbled restlessly. My right eye popped open and I recognized those brown eyes instantly. When I got a full profile I saw a strong jaw and straight lips. A army haircut and a fine tan. He looked like a soldier, that was for sure but I wasn't exactly expecting to hear this from the man who complained the whole damn way here but I nipped at the bait he was throwing in the shallow waters of my interest. Maybe I would finally get some answers.

"For what? I don't seem to recall anything I did that would need your thanks," I replied gracefully. Philly chuckled half heartedly and looked down at his hands, filthy with dirt and grime.

"I was out of line earlier and if it hadn't been for you, I would have taken Cowboys head clean off in a split second if I was given the chance. I mean, I know he's your boyfriend and all but it genuinely looked as though you wanted to help me... Unless I'm mistaken then I am truly sorry for wasting your time," Philly rambled. He started to rise off the ground next to me but I placed my hand on his arm and lightly pulled him back down.

"No, you were right. I did want to help you. If you don't mind me saying, you seem a little lost soldier," I answered back with as much compassion as I could muster in these dark times. Bombs could be heard in the not so distant distance and the earth below us shook. I tried to ignore it and concentrate at the conversation at hand. Philly finally looked into my eyes again and all the pain was once more shared at the surface and I could see his vulnerability shine through. It warmed my heart to no end.

"I hardly believe you would want to be bothered with the problems of a simple paratrooper," Bill muttered, full of sadness and pain. My eyes softened and I took his hand into mine and stroked it lovingly, as though I had known this man for years. His face was shocked and I sent a genuine smile his way.

"I want to help," I spoke calmly. It was the most simple of statements and I meant every word. Philly found himself nodding solemnly.

"If you're sure... Well, I," And that was all Philly was able to say before Dick called all of Easy over for a meeting. Bill looked at me regretfully but I shook my head.

"Later," I stated. He nodded and smiled. He picked up his helmet and the rest of his gear and started towards a tent a few yards ahead of my resting spot.

He stopped and turned suddenly and confusion crossed my features.

"My name's Bill by the way. Bill Guarnere," He stated simply. I smirked at him.

"Alexandria Wilkes, Alex if you may." I responded.

"Nice to meet you Alex," was all he said and then he was gone.

"Like wise... Bill," the words simply melted off my lips. Bill...  
><p>

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><strong>AN: <strong>I don't believe you were expecting that, and if you were. Well, good for you! Give yourself a cookie!So here's the review reply section:  
><hr>**Ruthie-r89:** Thanks! I really like it myself ;) haha. I'm so sorry it got confusing! I didn't mean for it to be! I hope this chapter was a lot better! Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter!  
><hr>:D So, next chapter, well it should get interesting. You'll read my crappy (hopefully not TOO crappy) fighting scene and *SPOILER ALERT* (Not really) someone dies. Big shocker there haha. Well, I beg of thee to review and tell me what ya think! **Much Love - Jenna**


	3. Choking on Silent Tears

**AN:**HEYYY! So, this chapter should be nice and depressing and hopefully make you and me cry! Just kidding, no crying cause I ran out of tissues... ;) Anyway, Here's chapter three which I hope will be really good, worth that wait, and superb enough for a review! Just getting that out there and done. I would LOVE it if you told me who you thought our lovely Alex should be with so I can get the real story and romance started after this chapter. Remember, tell me if you like it and tell me what you want me to do with it. All right, here we go!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from Band of Brothers. The only thing I own is my sexy girl and the fantastic idea of the story. Though I wouldn't mind owning some of those hot boys if you know what I mean ;)

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><p><strong>Set Me Free<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 3: Choking on Silent Tears<strong>

As I sat on the muddy ground the bombing in the distance only get worse and worse and the ground kept shaking with a vengeance that would frighten any man. The small birds in the sky flapped their wings against the wind, moving south to get as far away from the war as possible. If you listened hard enough, it seemed as though you could hear the screams of the fighting men and feel their fear and anger. I tried to block it all out... close my eyes and forget that I was even in war. Maybe... just maybe if I believed hard enough, I would be able to escape this horrid land. John and I could be home and married. Guess I should send Hitler a freakin' thank you card for making life so damn exciting...

During such periods of time when the army gave you nothing to do, a lot of the boys I trained with would say, "Hurry up and wait." It always meant that when our officers gave us orders to wait for even more orders then we would normally be waiting around on our ass for a while before anything even remotely special happened. Well, in short, this was one of those days and it sucked big time.

I felt the wind whip my hair against my pale cheeks and could smell the rain on the horizon. The little sun we received beamed down through the leaves and branches in the trees and, if you were lucky, it would warm just the slightest bit of your soul and give you hope for a brighter day. Male voices could be heard all around the small broken town we gathered in. Some were full or panic and hatred, some boredom, and if you listened really closely you could here excitement but that was very rare.

I was beginning to wonder what would have happened if I actually landed in the right drop zone. What would have happened if I had never ran into Dick and John? What if the wind carried me a little further into enemy territory and I was killed right on the spot, just like that without a second thought. What if I was never given the chance to see John again?... Then I realized a lot of people dropped from the sky last night and a lot of men never made it to the ground alive. Thank you God for watching over me.

"Alex?" Johns voice echoed through the outer parts of my mind. My eyes fluttered open just barely and as the focused I took the time to breath and calm myself from the thoughts I just had so I wouldn't cry. Johns face was full of concern and nervousness. I guess I could understand that, wait, why the hell would he be nervous?

"John, what's wrong?" I asked slowly, taking in every movement and sound. His eyes were suddenly glued to the floor and his feet moved cautiously back and forth. His hands had slight beads of sweat on them that you could only see when you looked really close.

"Well... I offered to go on a mission with Winters and the rest of his company," he answered, his voice shaking. I just stared at him, eyes blank and emotionless.

"Okay... and?" I was a little confused as to why this was such a big deal. I mean, Dick would take care of him so it's not like I really had anything to worry about.

"I convinced Winters to let you join us..." he said, almost inaudible. I stood up so fast, everyone around me had to stop and make sure that I was okay.  
>"YOU DID WHAT JOHN HALL?" I screeched at the top of my lungs. I could not believe this. John held his head down in shame and I almost felt bad but the overwhelming urge to smack him over the head for what he did made sure that didn't happen.<p>

"Well, I didn't really want you staying here alone and if this place was attacked while we were gone I figured you'd be safer with Winters and I then here by yourself with a bunch of men that you don't know... Right?" John finished flinching when I moved to smack him but then I retreated back, realizing he was right. I wasn't so much worried about being attacked, I could handle myself around Germans and fighting but what if a couple of men moved to assalt me when I was walking alone. I would think the best and then they would probably take advantage of it and so on. So, if I thought really hard and took into account that I loved him then I could see Johns side. You just had to tip the glass just right to see his point of view.

I sighed and let out a small smile of reassurance that I wasn't mad at him. John smirked lightly back at me and I leaned in to kiss his cheek. "All right, I see your point. I'm still mad that you didn't ask me first though." We started to walk towards a spot where Easy was in a circle, preparing for whatever fight we were all about to go into. John gently grabbed my hand and rubbed circles around my wrist with his thumb. I giggled when it hit the right spot and slightly tickled and in the corner of my eye I could see his face brighten up with a smile. When we reached the boys I stopped and glared daggers into Dicks back, hoping he could some how sense my disdain.

"Is there something I can do for you Alexandria?" Dicks smooth voice floated through the air. I let it hit the inside of my soul and rush through my heart. I shivered only momentarily before I regained my composure.

"What the hell were you thinking? Assigning me to this mission without even asking me first? You may be a Lieutenant but I am NOT in your company and I refuse to be tossed around like a slab of meat among wolves. Just because you're my best friend and Johns my damn fiance does not mean both of you can order me around! Do you understand Richard Winters?" I took in a deep breath after my long rant and when Dick turned around, the look on his face only exceeded in pissing me off even more.

There was a full smirk on his lips, from ear to ear and his eyes shined with pure mischief and something that resembled love and caring. Compassion glowed from his body as his arms were crossed laying of his chest and and his head held high with almost a hint of arrogance to it. I tried to hold my ground but it was quite intimidating having him stare me down in such a manor. What was going on with these two today?

"Are you done my dear?" How dare he mock me? I imitated his pose, only made mine have a flash of womanly wrath to it and nodded once. "Good, then get packed, we're moving out soon. Oh, and this is Lauraine. He's the Colonel's jeep driver," Dick motioned to a timid man to his left and then turned back to converse with a large man with bright blond hair who was extremely handsome if I do say so myself.

I huffed like a child and slammed my foot to the ground in protest. I heard a chuckle to my right and turned with every intention to curse whoever it was to the moon and back and make even a sailor blush and run for cover but when I was met with two bright brown eyes, all my anger melted away in an instant. "Oh, hello Bill. Sorry you had to observe that... It's just, I don't think I've ever seen him in such a playful and fiery mood before. I can't tell if I'm enjoying it or if it's royally pissing me off!" I ranted once more.

Bill smirked and let out a light laugh. I was sure now that he was silently making fun of me inside his head but I chose to ignore it. "Well, by the amount of smoke coming out of your ears, I'm guessing you'd rather not have a repeat of what just happened but don't take my word for it. I'm merely an outsider giving you his input on the matter.

It was my turn to laugh. I let myself go a little and I already felt a lot better. "Yes, well, I've known Dick for a while now and I've never known him to just make me do something. I was slightly taken aback when John told me I was being forced into doing this mission."

Bill shrugged and slung his rifle around his shoulder. "From my understanding, the mission shouldn't be too hard. Just some gunners we have to take out that are killing some guys on the beach. Once we do that, we're on our way back. Hopefully to come hot meals and a shower but that's probably just wishful thinking on my part," Bill finished with a smile.

I scoffed. "Knowing the army, they'll give us army rations from WWI and send us on our way, pointed us to the direction of a swamp to wash down in,"

"Probably," Bill nodded. I smiled and looked up at the sky.

"All right, let's move out!" Dick called to our small assembled group. Bill patted me on the shoulder then marched in front of me and I marched silently next to John on the way to an unknown future that I wasn't even informed about.

It only took less then an hour to reach our destination. I figured we were in the right place when loud shots flew throw the sky and loud German voices filled the air. Blondie, Bill, and another guy rushed to our left and Lipton and John ran towards a couple of trees. Dick motioned for me to follow him, so I did as I was told. Dick, a couple of others, and I hid behind some shrubs and waited until Blondie and his men were in position. Dick raised his hand, ready to give a signal, but stopped and looked at me.

"Whatever happens Alex, stay by my side no matter what, okay?" It was an order, not a request and I knew that but I nodded in acceptance anyway and held his hand to assure him. He smiled then turned back to Blondie and sent the signal his way. Blondie and his men raced forward, grenades in hand and sent them flying towards the first gun.

Once we saw dirt and grass fly into the air and heard three pops of detonated grenades, we raced forward to the first gun and met up with the small group, firing at and killing whatever Germans we could on the way there. When we reached our destination all the Germans at the first gun were already blown to hell and back and Blondie and his men were firing at the other guns with their rifles, attempting to do as much damage from a distance as they possibly could. I raced over next to Blondie and placed my gun on the top of the tench and fired at the other guns as fast as I possibly could. Dick fell against the dirt wall next to me and took a second to catch his breath.

"Buck, let's move to take the next gun as soon as possible!" Dick yelled over the shots and blasts around him. Buck nodded and kept firing. Down the line I saw Bill shooting down men left and right. Jeep driver was next to him and wasn't making any of his shots, amateur. I heard screaming of pain to my left and in an instant I was following the voice without a second thought. Around the corner of the trench I found a smaller man laying face forward on the ground with what looked like a bullet hole right through the butt. Nice! That's something I thought I'd never see in combat.

Toye was examining the damage and I knelt down beside him to help. Hands were searching the wound and after a while I couldn't completely defer one set of hands from the other. The man we were helping was screaming in pain and mumbling useless sorry's. I felt bad for him, I mean, the man just got here and he was already shot! From the sound of it, he felt the same way.

"Grenade!" I heard Blondie yell from behind me and my instincts automatically kicked into full gear. I threw myself over the wounded man to protect him, even if it meant my own life sacrifice. He screamed in pain but I tried my best to ignore it. "Toye, Wilkes roll out! Roll out!" Buck command sounded shaken. I felt Toye fall on top of me to cover me from the blast. I heard a loud bang and dirt flew against whatever wasn't covered by Toye. "Toye!" I heard Buck yell in horror.

"ALEX!" Dick screamed feverishly. Toye slowly and carefully lifted himself off of me as we both ignored the injured mans screams and all that was around I. I was shaken and completely zoned out. We could have died... Though there wasn't much time to contemplate much. The was didn't take a pause just because I had a near death experience. I noticed Toye checking to see if everything on his body was still in tact and then his eyes raised steadily to examine me.

"Are you alright Wilkes?" He mumbled concerned. I merely nodded, not conjuring the strength to do much else. Toye nodded in acceptance, found his gun and began to fire on the other guns once more. Bill looked over at us, taking in the situation.

"You're one lucky bastard Joe!" He called to his dear friend. His attention then turned to me, to whom he offered a gentle smile and a wink which calmed my nerves considerably. He then went back to firing his rifle and I finally decided to turn my attention back to the injured man below me. If I wanted to stay alive, I should stay low and focused. Focus Alex... focus. Breath and stay calm no matter what is happening around you.

Buck popped up next to me and began to reload his gun. I caught my breath and leaned against the dirt wall, thankful for the company and relieved that I no longer had to concern myself with the stranger below me. He would be fine now that his friend was here.

"How ya doin' Pop?" Buck asked quickly. "Pop" shook his head and tried to contain his pain with great effort and diligence I noted.

"I can't believed I fucked up my ass, Sir!" Pop yelled forcefully and set his face back down into the mixed dirt below. Buck looked up in shock and horror, possibly a sense of humor.

"Your ass?" He replied questioningly. His voice was strong and powerful yet not controlling or demeaning. I liked it. I found myself liking a lot of Easy company actually. Buck hoped over Pop with skill and talent and landed gracefully next to me with his rifle in hand only to look down at our patient once again to see if there was anything he could do to help him. My eyes wandered over to the fast approaching figure. The fiery red hair and strong build caught my eye immediately. Thank god, a familiar face.

"Dick..." The word seemed to cascade from my lips in the most depressing manor in the world. It was almost ghost like. His terrified eyes scanned mine for any sign of pain or injury. I stared back vacantly, in an almost comatose state. His eyes spoke volumes saying we would talk later when things weren't so hectic. Dick regarded Pop and completely neglected me once more.

"Hey Popeye, how bad is it?" Dick queried, patting Popeyes' leg in a comforting manner.

"I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean to fuck up. I don't think it's too bad." Popeye finished weakly before an explosion and gunshots hit our safe haven. I ducked into my arms and blocked out the rest of the conversation. I raised myself off the shaky ground and forced myself forward, ignoring Dicks' desperate calls. I knew Bill was going to one of the other guns to I searched deep into my instinct and followed my gut, twisting and turning in this never ending battle maze.

Finally I reached Bill, other red head, and two other men whose names I had yet to acquire. I slammed into the wall next to Bill and fired aimlessly at the last gun we had yet to take. Bill faced me and surveyed my appearance with great effort. After glancing up and down he gazed into my eyes, "Are you alright?" He asked quietly so only I would ever be able to hear. I nodded emotionlessly and kept firing. Bill placed a warm hand on my forearm and lowered it, forcing me to stop firing.

"Take a break, alright Alex?" It wasn't a question... he was forcing me wordlessly, with his deep brown eyes to stop killing and firing with a blank mind and regain my composure. I fell back and rested my hand against the cold earth. I trusted Bill to keep me safe from those damn Krauts.

"Heya Cowboy!" I faintly heard in my mind. I noticed Bills Philly accent instantly but the name he called did not sound at all familiar.

"Shut your fuckin' guinea trap gonorrhea!" JOHN! Thank God, my fiance was alive! Finally some good in all of this hell! My eyes flashed open and I met Johns clear eyes. Smiles invaded both of our joyful faces and I raced over and into his arms. Our greeting was short though because Dick showed up and was demanding TNT. John yelled over all the guns that he in fact had TNT and Dick was extremely pleased by this. "Stay here." John commanded as he raced over to Dick.

Their exchange was short and before I knew it the gun was blown to bits. This was going better then I thought it would. No one was even dead yet! Well, known of our guys that is. Hall lifted me off the ground and we were flying to a different gun. Once there he sat me down next to a large box and told me to stay there.

I wanted so desperately to just close my eyes, even for a moment but if I did then I may lose John and I was not going to allow that to happen. Not as long as there was still breath in these lungs! So when I saw him drop his TNT and start to run away from me I was up in a second and after him. Strong arms wrapped around me and I found myself listening to Dicks soothing words.

"Stay here. It's safer. You'll go when I go." He informed me. Dear God, I didn't even get a choice of freedom anymore! I have no say in these damn matters but I did as I was told and stayed close. My gun was close in hand and my palms were sweaty. After that gun was blown to hell we raced after John.

We only got so far before we found him. The thing is, the John we saw was not the John I was expecting. This John was laying cold and lifeless on the floor.

This John was covered with blood, his face torn and his stunning eyes vacant of all life. This John didn't have any breath left in his lungs and would no longer hold my hand to comfort me... I fell to my knees and layed myself across his chest. I did not cry nor show any other sign of emotional pain. Dicks hand on my shoulder was supposed to be comforting but instead it stung like a bee and sizzled slowly, agonizingly down into my heart. I flinched and lifted my head to see Johns face once more.

My fingers grazed his unscathed cheek and lingered down to the chain of his dog tags. Slowly the cold metal slipped through my fingers and I lifted it over his head and held it close to my heart. I was kneeling in front of my lost lover now and all around me was silent.

"Alex?..." Dicks voice was like a whistle to my ear. "We need to go." I knew this, it's not like I was expecting to be able to stay with him. I caressed his eyes shut one more time and kissed his forehead. I took the wedding ring from his jacket pocket and lifted myself off the ground.

"I know." Those two words were all I said as I started to jog away from the mere memory now. Every moment that had happened between us now was a memory engraved into the fresh earth of Normandy and there it would forever stay. I ran as fast as I could till I reached where I was early. Jeep boy was still firing and he was still missing every shot he took. I stood post next to him and aimed for the Germans across the vacant field. I shut one eye and closed myself off from everything around me.

The cold trigger felt soft under my filthy finger. I took a breath then pulled and a German soldier fell to the cold ground. I repeated this motion for years in my mind. Another fell and then another and then another. I couldn't be stopped. I was out for blood. These damn men killed John and I wasn't going to stop until they were all buried with their invaded land and I know that they are burning in hell next to the devil himself...

Shots filled my ears like a lullaby and in a way it was soothing to the soul. I was making history instead of dwelling on the past and that was progress in my mind. By the time five minutes had passed I had probably killed around eight Germans and I was damn proud of it.

"...pull... pull out... ALEX. Pull out!" The voice finally registered within my mind. Oh.. we're retreating? What the hell? I wasn't done with these bastards! I was about to fire once more when I felt a pull on my shoulder and before I knew it I was turned around and I saw Bill pulling me away from the battle. He pulled himself out of the trench and offered his hand. I was fuming inside but gratefully took his hand and once I was free of that hell we bolted back to camp. This was one day I was hoping to never remember. God help me...

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> HEYYY! Finally done :) I am not happy with my battle scene but hell it sounded better in my mind and it's my bedtime so it's time for me to go night night. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully another one will be up as soon as possible.

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><p><strong>Review Reply!:<strong>

**Paige:**Oh my wonderful, sweet Paige how I love thee! 3 Thanks a ton for your lovely comment, I will love you forever ;) Not that I already don't! I'll talk to you soon!

**ruthie-r89:** Thank you soo much for following this story and reviewing, you are officially amazing and deserve a cookie! I'm glad that chapter was easier to understand! I hope you enjoyed this one as well! Yeah, in all honesty I'm not sure who I'll put her with. Any suggestions? Thanks again for the review!

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><p>Please if you would, click the lonely button below and send this poor author a review because your words are gold in my pockets ;) Just kidding well, maybe. Haha, alright thanks for reading! Tell me what you think and send your kind words my way! <strong>Much love - Jenna<strong>


	4. What Do You Expect of Me?

**AN: **Chapppttteeerrrrr fooouuurrrr! YAY! How excited are you? My few... reviewers... Sadness. If you're reading this I would really just adore a comment because those reviews are the things that will make me want to keep writing this story! I mean, come on, I wouldn't be writing this without you lovely reviewers who, you know, review. By the way, big shout out to **ruthie-r89** who makes me want to keep writing this story and another huge shout out to **Paige**who I wouldn't be writing this story at all if it wasn't for her! LOVE YOU BOTH! So anyway, there will be a lot of emotion and pain in this chapter but hopefully some kick ass action too! Probably not but one can hope ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!... and reading your lovely reviews... Hint. Hint. ;) ;). Alright anyway, enough of that nonsense! STORY TIME!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from Band of Brothers. The only thing I own is my sexy girl and the fantastic idea of the story. Though I wouldn't mind owning some of those hot boys if you know what I mean ;)

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><p><strong>Call My Name and Set Me Free<strong>

**Chapter 4: What Do You Expect of Me?**

That was one of the most awful and terrifying things I have ever and probably will ever go through. When we finally made it back to the meet up point I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I was drained of all life just like a dead plant in the dry ground in summer time. My sun was gone... my way of living and source of happiness was torn from my grasp in seconds and this time, there was absolutely nothing I could possibly do to get that life source back.

The sky above seemed darker, the ground below seemed farther, and the air seemed colder. The air in my lungs was being sucked out of me and my heart could barely maintain its heartbeat. Boulders were stomping on my soul in a heated passion. Everything around me was spinning in a horrid fashion. It was like a dance I just couldn't quite keep up with.

Lifeless, I stumbled into camp and sat beneath that same weeping tree. This time, I found no warmth of comfort of it's homey touch. There was nothing around me that felt remotely sane. With every shaky breath I took, my eyes blurred and tears soaked my pale cheeks. My stomach rose and fell in a very harsh pattern. Dirt traveled along side my tears and blood stained the green grass below as I clenched my torn fingernails into my palm. My shirt was torn and my boots coated in thick dried mud.

As the air blew across my face I felt not calmness but a bust of anxiety and depression. How could life do this to me? How could GOD do this awful unspeakable thing to me? What had I ever done to deserve this seething hatred! What had John ever done to deserve being ruthlessly murdered?... Why hadn't I been there to protect him?... What the hell was I doing when he was running in fear then hit with that damn grenade? Oh, I remember... Spacing out and hiding like a cowardly fool! It's all my fault John was dead and I knew it! Out of everything in my life, God just had to take John away from me...

"Lexie?..." Dicks soothing voice whispered in front of me. I hadn't even realized my red headed friend was here until he spoke. Dick was knelt down in front of me with his hands resting on my knees and his eyes focused on mine with a deep concern that even the best actors of the world could never fake. "How are you holding up Lex?"

My facial expression couldn't have pointed out what was going on in my head anymore then it was now. How the hell did he think I was doing? I just lost my fiance and he's asking me if I'm okay? WHAT THE HELL!

"Oh, I'm doing wonderful Richard darling. I was just wondering what I would be doing right now if John was still alive. Guess I'll never know, huh?" I asked him scornfully. I know it wasn't Dicks fault but I couldn't understand how he could ask such a stupid question like that! His face scrunched up in pain and he recoiled away from my harsh words and I winced inwardly. I'd never said anything that awful to him before...

'You know," Dick started slowly, "You didn't just lose your fiance today, I lost a soldier under my command... My first soldier. Remember that," he finished sullenly. Dick pushed gently off of my knee and stood up, towering above me before he turned and took his leave. Sighing, I buried my head in my knees and felt cold tears soak my green army pants.

After several long minutes of wasted tears and lost time, I wiped my eyes of the little salty devils and sucked in a shaky breath. I wasn't completely sure how I was going to make through this damn war now but I knew I wasn't aloud to back down now. John would hate me for it if I left the war now and just gave up and ,in all honesty, I would hate myself too.

"You know, crying about it only makes you feel worse," a familiar Philly voice filled the air. I chuckled the best I could but somewhere along the line it got a little stuck between my lips and a cry of despair replaced the joy. Sobs filled the misty night air and I fell back against a damp tree and closed my eyes shut tight.

I felt Bill place himself next to me and my head shifted to lean on his strong shoulder. I felt him tense under me but I reached over to lace my arm through his and made myself comfortable. He sighed and resigned into the warm embrace I was giving him. My tears danced down my pale cheeks to pool on his dirty shirt. His arm shifted out of mine to instead rest around my frail shoulders and pull me even closer to his side. We fit perfectly together, just like a finished puzzle when you finally put in that last piece.

I sighed and shifted deeper into his embrace and I heard his shudder slightly. "You know, I never told you what was wrong with me this morning, did I?" Bill asked stonily.

I glanced up at his composed features and wished I knew what was going through his head. My head shook as a simple answer and his eyes traveled down to find mine. It's felt as though he was clinging onto my very soul with those eyes of his. It was an intense feeling that I needing to cling onto.

"Well, growing up I had a lot of siblings. Big family in Philly, you know?" Bill started. I nodded in acceptance of what he was saying and he continued. "Well, I was the closest to my brother Henry. When I was training in Taccoa, he was off fighting in Italy. Right before we got on the plane to jump into Normandy, I found out that he was killed in Monte Cassino. I guess I was just so mad at the Germans and the war that I turned into a complete ass to everyone around me as well..." Bill finished with a sadness in his tone that could tear your heart apart. I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it with a gentle reassurance.

I turned to look back up at him to find he was already staring down at me. "I'm so sorry Bill..." I whispered. He just stared back but I could tell he knew I wasn't just talking about his brother. I was talking about the war, the death, the pain, and everything that had gone wrong in the past couple of years. I was sorry for all of it. I knew my words wouldn't do much good but there was nothing else I could do to help other then being here for him when he needed me. Bill finally nodded painfully slow and his eyes searched mine in a questioning manner, trying to find something that I wasn't even sure was there.

"Me too..." He finished off then he turned to stare back into the night sky. I stared at him for a few more moments until I closed my eyes and let my weary head rest on his broad shoulder. In the distance we could hear a town being blown to shreds but I tried to focus on anything other then that. I couldn't fathom how many innocent men and women were being ruthlessly murdered by the Nazi's. I wondered how much blood Hitler already had on his hands, why for the love of God would he want to add to it? I'll never know.

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><p>I awoke the next morning to the shrill chirping of small birds and the smell of smelly soldiers. You'd think after so many years I'd be used to it by now! I tried to left my head but found it was being weighed down by another. Smiling, I cuddled closer to Bill. I remembered the way he stared at me and the way he held me.<p>

Wait, WHAT? What the hell was I doing? I just lost my fuckin' fiance and here I am sleeping, well in a sense, with another man! God, I feel so filthy right now! Opening my eyes, I yawned and stretched my hands above my hoping it would be enough to joist Bill out of his deep slumber.

By the jolt of his body and a slight moan I guessed it worked. As I looked Bill over, his hair was slightly disheveled and his eyes were droopy from lack of sleep. The bags under his eyes looked like a bee sting and all I could do was giggle at the sight.

Bill's eyebrow lifted in question and my giggling turned into laughter.

"That look suits you, sir," I spoke as seriously as possible. Bill ran his hand over his hair and face, immediately realizing what I was going on about. He smirked and proceeded to tackle me to the soft, moist ground below us.

We rolled around, laughing hysterically and probably causing a huge scene. He landed on top of me and ticked the day lights out of my. Laughter erupted from my mouth like a hurricane. Gosh, I haven't had this much fun since... since...

_"You know Lexie, we haven't spent this much alone time together since... well gosh I can't even remember when!" John chuckled. I cuddled close into him and smiled brightly. _

_"I know, and I'm loving every second with you John," I mumbled into his shirt. I inhaled the scent of meadows and sunlight. God, I was in love with this man and he didn't even know how much. I caressed the cold shiny gold ring around my finger and smile vibrantly. _

_John saw this and thought it would be funny to push my on the ground and tickle me. We rolled down the grassy hill until we reached the creek where he layed on top of me. I gazed deep into his eyes and tried to pull him as close to me as I possibly could._

_"I don't think God could even understand how much I love you Alexandria Wilkes..." John whispered into my ear. I shivered involuntarily and sent him a seductive smirk._

_"I love you more then YOU could ever fathom John Hall..." I mumbled sweetly to him. His eyes sparkled and I could feel the pure love and want glowing off of him._

_"Never leave me my dear..." John begged. His lips drew nearer to mine and I was falling into pure ecstasy. _

_"Never..." My voice broke as his lips covered mine in a burning passion that only true lovers could produce. I love you... John..._

My eyes flew open as I felt a calloused hand stoke my fair cheek. The vision of John lifted and Bill's face replaced his gentle eyes. My face wrinkled in confusion and my lips parted as I wanted to cry out in pain.

"Alex?..." Bill said so tenderly. I shook John from my thoughts and gently pushed Bill away from me and pulled myself off the ground, leaving Bill confused on the dirt below. His Body was facing me, his elbow on his raised knee and his eyebrow lifted. I could tell he was trying to read my mind just as I was merely hours before.

I shook my head as a single brilliant tear fell from my blue eyes and fell to the green grass below my feet. "I'm sorry Bill, I just can't. Not now... Not after what just happened mere hours ago..." I finished with a new found strength that I didn't even know I had inside of me.

Bill's mouth opened as if he was going to say something but then in an instant he closed it once more. He gave me a swift nod then pulled himself off the ground and dusted off his pants and hands.

"I understand. Take all the time you need, Alex. I'll be waiting there at the end of the lighted road for you..." Bill said with all the love I bet he could muster in this war, picked up his rifle, then left.

_I'll be waiting for you..._

Oh John, why'd you have to leave me?

_Never leave me..._

John... Why are you making me fight this war alone?

_I love you..._

I'll always love you... But why did you have to go so soon?

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> Yay! I finished this chapter! Yeah, I know, it's a little short. There wasn't much action or stuff going on but I felt that it was needed to move on with the story. The next chapter will hopefully be up soon, don't worry!

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><p><strong>Review Replies:<strong>

**FireIsLove: **Yeah, I'm thinking more Bill too, but you never know. That could totally change in other chapters haha. I hope this chapter was posted soon enough and was good enough for ya! Thank you so much for your review, it was greatly appreciated!

**ruthie-r89**: I love Babe! He's so under-appreciated! I actually know a really good Babe story if you want to read it, I'll send it to ya! I'm going towards Bill but that might change, who knows? ;D Yeah that chapter was really depressing but it had to be done :/ I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the constant reviews! You're amazing!

**EmmyMK: **Thanks! I hope this chapter was good as well! Thank you so much for the review, you're amazing!

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><p>So, yeah. Again, sorry for the short chapter! Um, if any you have watched and enjoyed the movie "Newsies" I just started a new story on here about that, so read at you're own free will! Thanks for the reviews, subscriptions, and alerts! You guys are amazing! I'll update soon! <strong>Much Love - Jenna<strong>


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